Writers and Authorssalary
Official wage statistics for writers and authors in United States, published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)), reference period May 2025. Approximately 47.94K people work in this occupation.
Wage distribution
| Percentile | Annual |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / lowest decile | $44,310 |
| 25th percentilelower quartile | $58,230 |
| Median (50th)typical worker | $76,910 |
| 75th percentileupper quartile | $101,950 |
| 90th percentiletop decile | $139,870 |
| Meanaverage, skews high | $86,090 |
Salary by state
Writers and Authors wages vary widely by state. Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, May 2025, sorted by median. Suppressed areas omitted.
| State | Median (annual) | P10–P90 / low–high | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCDistrict of Columbia | $129,300 | $74,990 – $172,480 | 1,050 |
| MDMaryland | $104,330 | $59,560 – $165,050 | 540 |
| CTConnecticut | $98,460 | $52,250 – $153,560 | 480 |
| VTVermont | $94,430 | $73,290 – $132,810 | 110 |
| LALouisiana | $89,520 | $29,740 – $114,810 | 480 |
| CACalifornia | $86,480 | $56,730 – $193,080 | 8,390 |
| WAWashington | $85,700 | $50,600 – $129,480 | 770 |
| MAMassachusetts | $85,260 | $58,910 – $138,950 | 1,350 |
| VAVirginia | $85,000 | $44,190 – $131,040 | 1,530 |
| NJNew Jersey | $81,590 | $49,770 – $128,820 | 1,180 |
| OROregon | $80,540 | $46,180 – $158,190 | 950 |
| PAPennsylvania | $77,410 | $40,270 – $178,490 | 1,080 |
| COColorado | $76,830 | $42,810 – $132,630 | 1,300 |
| INIndiana | $75,820 | $51,640 – $128,640 | 450 |
| GAGeorgia | $74,710 | $38,460 – $133,540 | 820 |
| MNMinnesota | $72,810 | $50,700 – $103,890 | 720 |
| NHNew Hampshire | $71,830 | $43,200 – $132,870 | 180 |
| RIRhode Island | $70,190 | $42,060 – $130,000 | 110 |
| TXTexas | $69,990 | $49,070 – $125,240 | 2,320 |
| ILIllinois | $68,220 | $41,830 – $134,400 | 2,640 |
| FLFlorida | $68,080 | $41,650 – $102,540 | 3,010 |
| ALAlabama | $66,950 | $39,830 – $115,210 | 180 |
| OHOhio | $65,930 | $40,190 – $101,710 | 830 |
| KSKansas | $65,840 | $30,920 – $92,660 | 240 |
| NENebraska | $65,470 | $44,230 – $93,600 | 240 |
| UTUtah | $64,530 | $36,260 – $101,460 | 410 |
| WVWest Virginia | $64,410 | $24,340 – $103,380 | 110 |
| WIWisconsin | $64,370 | $47,410 – $90,880 | 710 |
| NVNevada | $63,910 | $40,560 – $83,130 | 190 |
| NCNorth Carolina | $63,660 | $42,180 – $117,820 | 1,810 |
| IAIowa | $61,010 | $48,260 – $88,560 | 290 |
| TNTennessee | $58,870 | $38,720 – $100,910 | 1,260 |
| OKOklahoma | $58,770 | $38,230 – $98,230 | 220 |
| MOMissouri | $58,140 | $42,000 – $98,930 | 600 |
| SDSouth Dakota | $56,700 | $45,760 – $68,890 | 60 |
| IDIdaho | $56,360 | $44,660 – $108,890 | 90 |
| AZArizona | $55,990 | $42,300 – $90,990 | 600 |
| MSMississippi | $54,180 | $25,820 – $85,550 | 130 |
| SCSouth Carolina | $51,920 | $38,210 – $91,140 | 520 |
| NDNorth Dakota | $50,860 | $35,000 – $83,920 | 80 |
| WYWyoming | $49,650 | $41,170 – $66,510 | — |
| KYKentucky | $48,780 | $39,580 – $76,010 | 350 |
| ARArkansas | $47,970 | $30,560 – $79,350 | 270 |
| PRPuerto Rico | $43,440 | $30,040 – $66,680 | 90 |
Frequently asked
The median writers and authors in United States earns $76,910 per year (reference period May 2025). Earnings typically range from $44,310 (10th percentile or low) to $139,870 (90th percentile or high). These are official statistics published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (SOC 2018 code 27-3043). FedSalary republishes official statistics only; no self-reported or crowdsourced figures. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 47,940 people employed in this occupation in United States (May 2025).
Approximately EUR 69,918 · GBP 60,559 per year (mid-market snapshot 2026-05-02). The authoritative native figure is $76,910. FX conversion is informational only.